6 mins read

House vote to extend FISA spy tool fails and it could lapse as Friday deadline looms

WASHINGTON | A rare lapse in a law that allows the United States to gather intelligence abroad appears likely after the House failed on Thursday to temporarily extend the program, in a protest of President Donald Trump ‘s refusal to name a permanent head of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Trump has doubled down on his […]

6 mins read

FISA spy program at risk over Trump’s pick of Pulte for director of national intelligence

WASHINGTON | A rare lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad is growing more likely after President Donald Trump resisted calls from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to immediately name a permanent head of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Trump has doubled down on his temporary pick for director of […]

7 mins read

Senate OKs $70B immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund

WASHINGTON | The Senate passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies early Friday, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill. Senators voted 52-47 to pass the $70 billion legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for […]

5 mins read

Trump administration pauses $1.8B fund amid legal, fierce political backlash

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump is reconsidering whether to move forward with a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking said Monday, as the Justice Department also said it would temporarily pause the program’s implementation in compliance with a court order. The potential retreat is a nod to […]

7 mins read

Republicans’ recent stumbles in Congress highlight the difficult road ahead for their agenda

WASHINGTON | A roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term was supposed to be an easy lift for Republicans. But progress stalled over concerns about the inclusion of White House ballroom security funding in the package and the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to finance […]

7 mins read

Republicans mull dropping $1 billion security money request for the White House and Trump’s ballroom

WASHINGTON | Republican senators are considering whether to drop a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom after it has failed to win enough party support on Capitol Hill. Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly $70 […]

6 mins read

Democratic senators testing GOP unity with vote on Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

WASHINGTON | Democratic senators plan to force a vote this week on President Donald Trump’s new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate political allies, testing Republican unity as Trump lashes out at lawmakers in his own party. Republicans are expected to vote on a roughly $72 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and […]

6 mins read

Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday he will move to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax […]

6 mins read

Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday he will move to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax […]